Tag: Andrew Gwynne

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-02-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his US counterpart on Chinese market economy status.

Mr Hugo Swire

Our officials regularly exchange views with the US on this issue. Given that the decision on whether or not to grant China market economy status will be taken at the European Union level, the government’s main discussions have been with the Commission and other Member States. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills my right hon. Friend the Member for Bromsgrove (Sajid Javid) on 29 January 2016 (PQ 24530).

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-02-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward proposals to require private landlords to fit carbon monoxide alarms in any property that contains a fuel-burning appliance.

Brandon Lewis

Since 1 October 2015, landlords have been required to install carbon monoxide alarms in any room used as living accommodation which contains a solid-fuel burning appliance.

We regulated for rooms with these appliances as they are responsible for a disproportionate number of carbon monoxide deaths and injuries compared to other combustion appliances.

The Government therefore has no current plans to regulate further. These regulations are still very new and need time to bed in. A full review will be conducted in October 2017.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-02-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the amount of funding that will be required for those who may need access to the reformed scheme for providing support for people affected by hepatitis C through treatment with NHS-supplied blood or blood products but have not yet been identified.

Jane Ellison

The assumption is that there would be £570 million available from the unreformed scheme, as mentioned in the consultation, and an additional £125 million, identified in the current spending review.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-03-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the letter to the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish from the Minister for Local Growth and the Northern Powerhouse of 18 February 2016, on accountability of combined authorities, if he will make provision for public involvement in the key decision process within the scrutiny arrangements for combined authorities.

James Wharton

The scrutiny requirements for combined authorities are set out in Schedule 5A to the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009, as inserted by the Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016, which provide that overview and scrutiny committees of combined authorities have powers to call in decisions and to involve other persons in their work. Schedule 5A also provides for secondary legislation which must ensure that the majority of members of an overview and scrutiny committee will be members of the combined authority’s constituent councils and that at least one member of an audit committee is an independent person. The scrutiny requirements of the Local Government Act 2000 do not apply to combined authorities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-03-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many episodes of (a) traumatic brain injury, (b) spinal injury, (c) fractures, (d) dislocated shoulders and (e) ligamentous tears were sustained in school sports in each of the last five years.

Jane Ellison

The Department does not hold this information.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-03-23.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason exemptions were granted from the sugar levy for 100 per cent fruit juice and milk; and if he will publish the evidence on which that decision was taken.

Mr David Gauke

Pure fruit juices and milk-based drinks have other health benefits and we do not want to discourage their consumption.

Pure fruit juices are part of the 5-a-day message and have intrinsic nutrients such as containing certain vitamins.

Milk and milk-products are a good source of protein and calcium, which have health benefits such as aiding bone formation. The government wants to encourage the consumption of milk to help children consume the required amounts of these nutrients.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-05-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the border policy is for the Sovereign Base Areas.

Penny Mordaunt

Those entering the Sovereign Base Areas (SBA) including the two crossing points from north Cyprus are subject to immigration checks conducted by SBA Customs and Immigration personnel to confirm their identity, nationality and permissibility to enter the SBA. These border crossings are recognised points of entry into the EU. This process is consistent with the current procedures used in the Republic of Cyprus. No border control exists between the SBA and the Republic of Cyprus.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what statutory reasons (a) a resident of a care home may be evicted and (b) a relative of a person in a care home may be banned from visiting; and what evidence must be provided in each such case.

Alistair Burt

It is for providers of care to decide if they are no longer able to meet a person’s needs, or whether, for example for reasons of safety, it might be appropriate for a person to be prevented from visiting a care home.

Such decisions should be taken according to individual circumstances and with regard to the terms of agreements and/or contracts between providers and purchasers or commissioners of care.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-05-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has assessed the effect on HIV infection amongst men in sexual contact with unvaccinated women from countries with no or low-uptake HPV vaccination programmes.

Jane Ellison

No such assessment has been made.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-05-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has assessed the effect on (a) patients and (b) patient choice of centralised procurement.

George Freeman

‘Centralised procurement’ can sometimes be used to refer to the services of NHS Supply Chain. NHS Supply Chain offers a procurement and logistics service to all National Health Service trusts in the United Kingdom under a central service contract on behalf of NHS Business Services Authority.

There is currently no centralised procurement model mandated to the NHS by the Department, and as such no assessment has been made as to an effect on patients or patient choice. NHS trusts may choose to utilise the service offering of NHS Supply Chain, or choose an alternative. It is for NHS trusts to make their own choices with regard to products and services they purchase; therefore it is for individual trusts to assess any impact on patients and patient choice.